The younger sister of former Texas gubernatorial aspirant Beto O’Rourke has died, Austin ABC affiliate KVUE reported.
O’Rourke took to his social media accounts on Tuesday to announce the death of Erin O’Rourke at the age of 42.
“We lost our sister Erin this morning,” the ex-congressman from El Paso said in a tweet with a picture of his late sibling whom he affectionally called “Bear.” “A beautiful soul, a loving sister, daughter [and] friend. She had more than her share of challenges in life but kept her heart open to all throughout.”
O’Rourke further expressed gratitude to those “who loved and cared for her,” per KVUE.
“Rest in peace, Bear,” he said. “We love you forever.”
Citing a Washington Post article from almost four years ago, the station reported that O’Rourke once served as his sister’s legal guardian as she was born with intellectual disabilities.
According to KVUE, Erin O’Rourke lived and worked in El Paso in 2019. She was a resident of Carlsbad, New Mexico at the time of her passing, her obituary on the Dignity Memorial website reads.
As of Wednesday, funeral services are pending and under the auspices of Martin Funeral Home in El Paso.
Erin O’Rourke played a role in her older brother’s political career.
She was the inspiration for his plan to address issues faced by individuals with disabilities that he unveiled during his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, KVUE reported.
A message left on her obituary described her as having had “a beautiful and open spirit about her.”
